Shoppers may notice a small rise in costs tomorrow as all shops in England begin charging for single-use carrier bags, with the charge doubling from 5p to 10p.

Previously only businesses with 250 employees or more had to charge per bag and smaller shops could chose to do so voluntarily, but now even corner shops will have to introduce the charge.

The 5p levy on plastic bags was introduced in England in 2015, with the most recent figures showing that the number of single-use bags distributed by large supermarkets has fallen more than 95pc.

Since the introduction of the charge a total of £180m has been raised for good causes from the revenue collected.

The average person in England now buys just four single-use bags a year, compared to around 140 in 2014.

By extending the charge to all retailers, the government expects the use of single-use carrier bags to decrease by 70% to 80% in small and medium-sized businesses.

Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, said: "The introduction of the 5p charge has been a phenomenal success, driving down sales of harmful plastic bags in supermarkets by a remarkable 95pc.

"We know we must go further to protect our natural environment and oceans, which is why we are now extending this charge to all businesses.

"Over the next couple of weeks I urge all retailers of all sizes to make sure they are ready for the changes, as we work together to build back greener and strengthen our world-leading action to combat the scourge of plastic waste."

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive, James Lowman, said: "We strongly welcome the inclusion of local shops and other small businesses into the successful plastic bag charging scheme, which not only helps the environment, but is also a great way for retailers to raise money for local and national charities."

It is estimated that the 10p charge will bring £297m into the UK economy and a 21pc decrease in single-use bags.